Document type: article published in Réussir La Chèvre
Author: Damien Hardy
Preview: For two months, Inrae placed adult goats with female kids on a diet of reconstituted milk. The aim was to add social enrichment, that could potentially help the kids.
Results of exploratory trials
Most farmers separate kids from their mothers at birth, mainly to limit the transmission of diseases such as CAEV or Johne's disease. While colostrum and milk can be replaced by thermized colostrum or reconstituted milk, the mother's other functions, such as provision of care, soothing body contact and socialization, are not always compensated for. By observing and imitating their mothers, youngsters gradually learn to eat solids and identify hazards. On the basis of previous research on lambs and the views of goat farners, INRAE, in partnership with the Anses and the Institut de l'élevage, tested the rearing of young goats in the presence of non-lactating adult goats. At the experimental unit in Bourges (Cher), twelve young female goat kids were placed with two non-lactating adult goats that had previously given birth, the "godmothers". These "godmothers" stayed with the kids for sixty days, then were removed one week before weaning. A second batch of twelve kids remained without a godmother. INRAE operators noted the animals' behavior every five minutes for six hours a day on two days a week.
A love-hate relationship
"Overall, the goat kids with godmothers spent more time resting," explains Raymond Nowak, the INREA researcher. They also played, ran or jumped less than those without godmothers." In the experiment, the goat kids had a space where only they could go, separated from the godmothers by barriers with closely-spaced bars. The kids with godmothers spent less time in this protected area than did those without godmothers. Once the godmothers had been removed from the pen, the kids even reclaimed the space (...) Social contact sometimes involved avoidance, and two kids were never seen interacting with the godmothers. The interactions are different from those with mothers," observes Raymond Nowak. Between the godmothers and the kids, it's a bit of a love-hate relationship."
More curious kids, but no bigger
Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the presence of the godmothers did not significantly influence solid food consumption, and the growth of the kids was similar in both groups. However, the hindquarters of kids reared with godmothers appeared cleaner at certain times. This effect, which could be linked to a sharing of microbiota with adults, suggests a better overall health status. Behavioral tests carried out after a month and a half of group living showed that kids raised with godmothers bleated less when isolated in an unfamiliar corridor. They were more inquisitive and explored the environment more when placed between two boxes containing either the godmothers or unknown goats. They also spent more time close to the godmothers than the standard formula-fed kids. Despite the low level of social interaction observed in the rearing pen, the godmothers were attractive and reassuring to their kids in uncomfortable situations. "Living together works well, and we can assume that the adults are enriching the goat kids' intestinal flora", sums up Raymond Nowak. This initial exploratory study will continue, with a particular focus on post-weaning behavior and the effects on adult health. The godmothers were immune to CAEV but not Johne's disease. The goat kids will have serological samples taken for at least three years to check for possible contamination. The technique has yet to be evaluated in a commercial farm setting, and it remains to be seen, in particular, how many godmothers are required to have an effect on the transmission of microbiota to the young.
